Hot Topics:

Sports

Nuggets defeat Warriors to win their fifth consecutive game

By Christopher DempseyThe Denver Post

Posted:
01/13/2013 08:35:05 PM MST

Updated:
01/14/2013 09:24:50 AM MST

Denver Nuggets shooting guard Wilson Chandler reacts to being called for an offensive foul against the Golden State Warriors during the second half of the Nuggets' 116-105 win on Sunday at the Pepsi Center. More photos.
(AAron Ontiveroz, The Denver Post)

Whether they slosh through the first three quarters or play well from the start and find themselves in a tight contest, the fourth has been the separation quarter for this team, trying to hit its stride this month.

The Nuggets outscored Golden State 37-18 in the fourth quarter Sunday night to make a tough game look like an easy 116-105 win at the Pepsi Center. It was the Nuggets' season-high fifth straight win.

So what's different in the fourth quarter?

"Urgency and desperation and professional pride," Nuggets coach George Karl said.

Denver Nuggets small forward Danilo Gallinari takes a shot over Golden State's Klay Thompson during the second half on Sunday at the Pepsi Center. (AAron Ontiveroz, The Denver Post)

The Nuggets turn up the defense and shift the offense into overdrive in the final period. During this five-game winning streak, they've outscored their opponents 151-102 in the fourth, an average of 30.2 points to 20.4.

"I feel like we're most focused in the fourth quarter for some reason," center JaVale McGee said. "I don't know why. I feel like we take the first half for granted, but we really go hard in the fourth quarter."

Sunday, the Nuggets shot 14-of-20 in the fourth, made 7-of-9 free throws and outrebounded Golden State — one of the NBA's better road teams — 11-7 in the final frame. Danilo Gallinari scored eight of his team-high 21 points in the fourth, but it was the Nuggets' bench that did the most damage.

Advertisement

Corey Brewer had nine of his 13 points in the fourth and Andre Miller scored eight of his 12 in the fourth. The Nuggets' bench scored 22 points in the final period, more than their own starters and more than Golden State scored as a team.

"They're a great scoring team, but their legs started to go (in the fourth), and that really helped us," Nuggets forward Kenneth Faried said.

The Nuggets used an 18-2 run spanning the end of the third and beginning of the fourth quarter to make an 87-79 deficit an 97-89 lead with 7:54 left. All that was needed from there was maintenance.

The Denver Post's Benjamin Hochman posts analysis, notes and more on this blog focussing on the Denver Nuggets.

There weren't too many scenarios entering the season that would have had the Nuggets going into their fourth — and final — game against Golden State this season hoping to catch it in the Western Conference standings. And yet Sunday, that's where the Nuggets were, looking up at Golden State and talking pregame about collecting a possible tiebreaker against a team pretty much no one outside of Oakland, Calif., thought would be in this position.

The Nuggets, who won the season series 3-1, are 5-1 at home in January, bringing their overall record at the Pepsi Center to 14-2. Beating Golden State — a team that entered the game fifth in the Western Conference, pushed the Nuggets' record to 11-10 against winning teams.

Ty Lawson and Gallinari combined for 41 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists. They were the engine that powered the team, whether it was Lawson constantly getting into the lane or Gallinari hitting 3s.

But the Nuggets had to survive hot-shooting Stephen Curry's 29 points to get the win.

"They are a quality basketball team. They're playing at a high level," Karl said. "My feeling right now is this is a really good win for us."

Nuggets Recap

What you might have missed. Denver center Kosta Koufos crossed the 1,000-point mark in his career. ... Golden State's David Lee was five assists from a triple-double halfway through the third quarter. ... The Nuggets' bench outscored Golden State's 48-19. ... The Nuggets scored 26 points off 18 Golden State turnovers and committed only eight turnovers of their own.

Final thought. The Nuggets are starting to gain traction in the Western Conference.

Missy Franklin, Jenny Simpson, Adeline Gray and three other Colorado women could be big players at the 2016 Rio OlympicsWhen people ask Missy Franklin for her thoughts about the Summer Olympics that will begin a year from Wednesday in Rio de Janeiro, she hangs a warning label on her answer.